In Reply to: McLibel! posted by Stuart Cooper on November 15, 1996 at 13:32:46:
> It is a shame that that people such as the Mclibel two are
> determined to drag a respectable company down, with wild
> accusations and tentative links.What's 'respectable' about McDonald's? Which accusations are
'wild' and which links 'tentative'? All the criticisms made
about exploitation of workers, animals and the environment,
and the promotion of unhealthy food have been well documented
for years now, and show that McDonald's don't deserve any
'respect'.> The evidence provided on behalf of the defence has very little
> FACT content on McDonalds and appears to be purely speculation.What specific evidence are you talking about? If there is very
little fact content, how come the Defendants were able to call
over 60 witnesses to give evidence. And how come the trial
lasted 313 days. They can't have been talking about nothing.> I believe that these individuals are just trying to make a
> name for themselves as anarchists.You give no basis for this remark, it appears to be just
your personal prejudice.> They are wasting time and money and will clearly
> lose - if you are going to try to take on someone such as
> McDonalds you need clear distinct facts, not rambling
> accusations with very little factual basis (and then it is
> only historical - very little fact was actually relevant at
> the date of publication of What's wrong with McDonalds).
> My hope is that the Mclibel two will wake up and smell what
> they are talking!How can any action taken to expose the exploitation and
oppression caused by multinationals be a waste of time or money?
It is vital that the methods of operation of these companies
be out in the open, so people can see what they are really like,
instead of the carefully manufactured image they want us to see.
There are plenty of clear, distinct facts about what McDonald's
are up to, and what they have been up to for years now. I don't
know how you managed to miss them all on this site, unless you
just came straight to this debating room to shoot your mouth off
before bothering to read anything.
The evidence that has come out in the trial shows that the
criticisms that were made were true, and that people should be
concerned about the effects of companies such as McDonald's on
people and the planet. If the Courts decide to follow their
usual course and protect the interests of the rich and powerful
in society, then it'll be up to all of us to make sure they
don't get away with it this time.McDonald's will never win, too many people know what they
stand for and are not going to be intimidated by the use
of oppressive and outdated libel laws. If people want to
join in this stand against McDonald's bully boy tactics
they should contact the McLibel Support Campaign, who sent
out a leaflet some while ago about 'adopting' your local
store to picket after the verdict in the McLibel trial.
I sent mine back and, along with thousands of other people
around the world, I'll be outside McDonald's the Saturday
after the verdict, handing out 'What's wrong with
McDonald's?' leaflets. Tough luck McDonald's - you bit
off more than you could chew this time!
None.